The Essay is trying to trick its less informed readers by trying to get them to take their eyes off the ball. The Church wants us to think its possible that the hieroglyphic writing flanking the original vignette of Facsimile No. 1 may not actually be associated with the vignette but may serve another purpose. In other words, just because the scene with Abraham on the lion couch is surrounded with funerary spells doesn't mean that those spells have anything to do with the picture but could refer to another vignette (now lost) further down the roll or an attachment. The Church is attempting to trick its readers and is being totally deceptive. The Church is lying. The Church is really good at lying. That is what they do, professionally!The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Translation and Historicity of the Book of Abraham wrote:
Some have assumed that the hieroglyphs adjacent to and surrounding facsimile 1 must be a source for the text of the book of Abraham. But this claim rests on the assumption that a vignette and its adjacent text must be associated in meaning. In fact, it was not uncommon for ancient Egyptian vignettes to be placed some distance from their associated commentary.
HERE COMES THE LASER!
Bear in mind, the Church says: "In fact, it was not uncommon for ancient Egyptian vignettes to be placed some distance from their associated commentary."
Now let's test this deceptive theory and plug it into Facsimile No. 3 and see if it works
Is there any chance that the characters given above the head are not the characters that Smith referred to?Joseph Smith wrote:Fig. 2. King Pharaoh, whose name is given in the characters above his head.
Is there any chance that the characters written above the hand are not the characters that Smith referred to?Joseph Smith wrote:Fig. 4. Prince of Pharaoh, King of Egypt, as written above the hand.
The Church CANNOT separate the text from the image. They are inseparably connected together.
Joseph Smith was WRONG!
If you don't agree with me, prove me wrong if you think you can.